Since the launch of its flagship smartwatch, the GT2 Pro by Huawei in 2012, it has been two years. The company has been hard at work over the past two years, working to improve the wearable experience and fix some issues that were on that model.
While the Huawei Watch GT3 Pro is a great evolution, it also offers some new ideas. Two variants are available now, each with a different design.
The 46mm Watch GT3 Titanium Edition, which is the spiritual successor of the Watch GT2 Pro has many similarities. There are many upgrades available despite the common design DNA.
A smaller version measuring 43mm is also available. It uses mostly white ceramic as a construction material and is quite striking. This watch is fashionable because of its glossy white ceramic shine and the beautiful gold ring that surrounds the display.
Today we will dive deep into the Huawei Watch GT3 Pro. We are here!
Style and design
Although they have the same internals, the Watch GT3 Pro has two distinct versions. There are differences in the size of the battery and screen. Let’s start with the Titanium version.
Watch GT2 Pro’s design has been improved. It now looks more industrial and “edgy”. It’s also smaller than the previous model and, while it’s still quite big, it’s an improvement.
The sapphire glass that covers the 1.43-inch AMOLED screen has been replaced by sapphire. This is a nice upgrade and makes it virtually unbreakable (unless you have a diamond tools). The display still has the same black bezel, but it has been shortened to fit the larger screen. (The Watch GT2 Pro had a 1.39-inch screen).
Huawei has replaced the fiddly buttons from the previous model with a rotating crown made of machined Titanium, which also features the model and brand engraved on it. The second button, which is a pill-shaped clicker is now on the watch’s back.
The Titanium version is a classic example of industrial design, but the Ceramic 43 mm variant has a completely different feel. It is more elaborate and flashy. The watch’s face is adorned with a gold band and a unique geometric design.
The white ceramic bezel surrounding the display is different from the Titanium-colored one with side marks. The gold crown button has a nice ceramic element, while the band is made of white ceramic and features a locking mechanism in gold. Overall, this watch is very fashionable.
There are two options for the straps: the Titanium model can be paired with a Black Fluoroelastomer Strap or a Gray Leather Strap. The Ceramic version comes with either a white ceramic strap, or one made from white leather.
It’s not easy to adjust the strap length. The ceramic version includes a small screwdriver and a few additional segments. It takes patience and precision to achieve the perfect length strap. But it is worth it. The strap lock mechanism is clever, and stays under the watch when worn.This is a much simpler version of the titanium version. The quick release mechanism allows you to add or subtract segments from the strap by simply pulling on the levers. You can also attach a strap to your choice. The smaller version works with 20 mm quick-release straps, while 22 mm straps work with the larger one.
Display & Watch Faces
The Watch GT3 Pro Titanium’s display has increased in size and resolution. It now proudly displays 1.43 inches of AMOLED goodness and 466×466 high-definition resolution. The detail is amazing and it can shine brightly in direct sunlight.
The Ceramic version of the Watch GT3 Pro features a 1.32-inch AMOLED screen with the same resolution (466 x 466). This makes the pixel density even higher than its larger sibling.
Huawei is now offering a variety of new watch faces, in addition to those that it has been bundled with for the past few decades. We liked the Deep Blue watch face on the Titanium model, as well as the Stellar and Cloud watch faces on Ceramic.
It is also worth noting that these watch faces can change from bright white to black at night, just like a smartphone’s scheduled dark mode. The Torchlight mode was used to measure the brightness. It gave me a reading of just over 600 nits. This is quite impressive for a smartwatch. Both watches can be read in direct sunlight, and the brightness is not an issue.The Health app has a lot of watch faces (thousands) and you will be able to find the one that suits you best. There are both paid and free options. Some of these are also featured in the app.
Software, Performance, and Health
The Huawei Watch GT3 Pro runs Harmony OS. It looks very similar to other Huawei wearables that have the same software. But there’s more to the watch than meets the eye.
This watch now has dual-band five system positioning, GPS + Beidou + Geostationary + Galileo + QZSS. This will improve GPS accuracy and tracking, which was an area that the Watch GT2 Pro had a hard time with. While we were able to obtain a GPS lock quite easily during our workouts, more testing will be done as part of the complete review. The watch now has a Free Dive mode that guides you to the record depth of 30m without any equipment.
Watch GT3’s Free Dive mode makes it waterproof (IP68/5ATM), and has been tested. It passed 200 pressure tests at 30m for 1 minute each. This one would be very difficult to duplicate so we will have to trust Huawei.
Over 100 workouts are available onboard. These include running, walking and mountain climbing, running, biking, open water swimming (triathlon), skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, free training, elliptical, and many more.
GT3 Pro is a fitness watch
It worked flawlessly this time. Although there is still some delay between your workout and the watch suggesting it to you, if you activate the suggested workout, the timer will start at the 5 minute mark.
There are many running plans, including Half-marathon, Full marathon, 3K, 5K, and 10K options. It is easy to follow a plan. You get reminders, statistics and the average difficulty of your chosen plan based on previous running figures.
You can view detailed statistics about your runs and workouts. Dynamic tracking allows you to export a short video showing your progress and highlighting key milestones.
The watch will display some numbers after you have finished your workout, but the Health app on your smartphone will give you a complete breakdown. The sensors gather data from all angles and display graphs showing the cadence, heart rate, calories and training stress.
The GPS lock is also fast and very accurate. The Watch GT2 Pro has all the problems I had. I was able to get initial locks in less than 20 seconds during my workouts. The watch also remained locked throughout various workouts, including a 25km hike up the mountains.
Route Back is a cool feature you can use when doing any type GPS-tracked activity. You can retrace your steps back from your beginning position by using the watch, which tracks your movements. It is very useful when you are on a hike in the mountains or in the forest, or to return to your car in another country.
GT3 Pro is a health coach.
Things are moving well on the health front. The GT3 Pro includes Huawei’s TruSeen 5.0+ Health Management System, which is backed by a number of new and improved sensors.
The watch now has the ability to do an ECG analysis using the electrode on its side (availability may vary depending upon country), it also features SpO2 monitoring all day, a new Healthy Living interface, and Huawei’s well-known sleep tracking.
There are many plans that the Watch GT3 Pro can help you follow. I chose the relaxation plan. By setting and following different goals each day, you will be able to fill the leaves of an shamrock. You can add reminders to smile at least once per day, as well as your sleep statistics, stress measurement, heart rate and water intake.
Although it sounds cheesy, I found it useful and easy to customize. You can add or subtract goals and adjust the experience to suit your needs. The watch can still collect valuable data which you can view, even if you don’t have a strict health regimen.
One example is the sleep tracking – it is very thorough. It shows all the sleep zones with detailed descriptions. There are also suggestions for improving them (my deep sleep continuity was not optimal).
You can monitor your heart rate, SpO2, skin temperature, stress levels and heart rate continuously (you must enable this feature in the app). If you need to see statistics for the past week, you can pull them out from the app. You can choose from various alerts such as high heart rate, low blood oxygen and others. The dedicated ECG feature was not available in my area at the time so I couldn’t test it.
GT3 Pro smartwatch
HarmonyOS lets you install third-party applications. Although the number isn’t that large at the moment it’s steadily growing. While we’re talking about the OS, the watch can be used for navigation and to answer calls/messages using predefined text. You can also use it for Bluetooth calling.
The Watch GT3 Pro is a better Bluetooth calling device than you would expect. The speakerphone is loud and clear. The other end of the conversation understood the conversation perfectly. It’s an extremely useful feature. You can make an emergency call even if you aren’t able to reach your phone.
Huawei Pay is another smart feature. Although it looks great on paper, it all depends on where you are located, whether your bank supports the feature, and if it activates on POS terminals.
You can upload music to your watch’s memory, and you can listen to it through headphones or the built-in speaker. There’s approximately 2GB of memory for this task.
That being said, the Watch GT3 Pro is still more of a fitness/health-oriented gadget than a full-blown smartwatch. It can’t send mails, view photos or videos, access your smart home, read messages, change the volume, and translate things. While some of these features may eventually be added, it is important to understand the relationship between smart features and battery life. …
Battery life
Huawei wearables have a long battery life. The Watch GT3 Pro is no exception. Huawei claims 14 days battery life for typical usage scenarios, 8 days for heavy usage scenarios with the Titanium model, and 7 days/4 days respectively with the Ceramic version.
My Watch GT3 Pro experience was mostly spent using the ceramic version. I have small wrists so the ceramic version was my main choice. It was able to withstand almost four days of heavy use, which includes a 6-hour, GPS-tracked mountain climb clocking 25 km, continuous sleep, SpO2, stress, heart rate monitoring, Bluetooth calling, and listening to music from the watch.
Watch GT3 Pro has a wireless charging system that is free from metal pins and connectors. This helps to prevent skin allergies and waterproof failures. Huawei claims that a 10-minute charge is equivalent to a day’s moderate use. These are the actual charging numbers:
- 15 minutes – 27%
- 30 minutes – 54%
- 1 hour – 89%
- Full Charge – 1:51